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Since the start of the pandemic, people have searched for supplements to help speed up recovery from COVID-19. Now, new research has found that two supplements in particular—zinc and vitamin C—are unlikely to be helpful. Key Takeaways A new study found that vitamin C and zinc do not help speed up recovery from a COVID-19 infection.The study was stopped early due to a lack of results.There may be some benefits in using zinc and vitamin C to try to help boost your immune system....

Ophthalmoplegic migraine is now called recurrent ophthalmoplegic neuropathy, or RPON. Contrary to what the name “ophthalmoplegic migraine” implies, it is actually not a migraine. RPON causes a headache and temporary paralysis of certain nerves around the eye. It is a rare condition affecting about 0.7 out of every million people every year, or approximately 230 people in the United States annually. This article will address symptoms, causes, and treatment for ophthalmoplegic migraine/RPON, as well as short- and long-term prognosis....

The FDA defines a medical food as a food that is made to be consumed enterally (orally or by tube feeding), administered by a healthcare provider, and used to manage a medical condition for which there are distinct dietary requirements. This is different from your healthcare provider telling you to eat less fried food and more veggies. You won’t find medical foods at the grocery store. Much like a prescription drug, medical foods are given to patients for specific dietary needs related to their specific disease or condition....

If you have pain in your rotator cuff, it may help to do shoulder strengthening exercises at home. The muscles that make up your rotator cuff can be prone to inflammation and tears if you do the same overhead motions too often. Making sure these muscles are strong enough is aAn important way to reduce tears or rotator cuff injury. This article explains how to do seven different exercises to build strength in your rotator cuff muscles....

The vagina is an elastic, yet muscular canal that is approximately nine to 10 centimeters in length. The upper part of the vagina connects to the cervix, which opens into the uterus, and the lower part opens to the outside of the body. It lies between the urethra (which connects to the bladder) and the rectum. During sexual intercourse, the vagina lengthens, widens and engorges with blood as it prepares to accept the penis....

The atrioventricular (AV) node is a key part of the heart’s electrical system, controlling the transmission of the heart’s electrical impulse from the atria to the ventricles. This tiny structure is strategically located near the center of the heart at the spot where the two atria and the two ventricles are in close proximity. Disorders of the AV node can cause cardiac arrhythmias, in which the heart can beat either too slowly (bradycardia) or too rapidly (tachycardia)....

Joint replacement surgery is considered a last resort treatment option to relieve arthritis pain and restore function to the affected joint. More conservative treatment options are usually tried before surgery is recommended. Joint replacement surgery is recommended when pain is no longer well-controlled and joint damage significantly affects quality of life. What Is Joint Replacement Surgery? Joint replacement involves these steps: Cartilage is removed from both sides of a joint. The affected joint is resurfaced with a prosthesis, which is a new joint made of metal and plastic components....

Knee arthritis is a condition that causes damage to our joints and the cartilage that helps the knees to function normally. Once that damage has occurred, we are often told that there is nothing that can be done to turn back the clock—you can’t replace worn-out cartilage. However, medicine is getting better at tackling cartilage problems, and perhaps we are getting closer to a solution where we can turn back the clock on arthritis....

Cervical retraction may be a good addition to your home exercise program if you have spinal arthritis, or if you need to strengthen your neck muscles. It is also good for stretching or loosening the muscles at the back of your neck. If you have a neck condition, or radiculopathy, which causes pain or other symptoms going down the arm, or if you’re just unsure of what you should do or how you should do it—be sure to ask your healthcare provider or physical therapist for direction before trying the following....

Skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, or an allergic rash can be mistaken for shingles by some, but rarely by health professionals who know what to look for. While red and itchy like some other rashes, the shingles rash is otherwise very distinct. Vesicles (fluid-filled sacs) are tingling and/or painful, and the rash has a very specific distribution on one side of the body that sets it apart. Shingles can also present with flu-like symptoms, a fever, and severe fatigue (malaise), which other conditions do not....

If you are wondering if you should see a physician who is a DO versus an MD, you are not alone. While the two are largely similar, there are some differences in the training that DO physicians receive when compared to MDs. Most of us are familiar with the medical designation MD (Doctor of Medicine) which we have seen countless times on office doors, medical directories, and even TV shows like Marcus Welby, MD, Trapper John, MD, and Doogie Howser, MD....

Disuse atrophy is a type of muscle atrophy, or muscle wasting, which is a decrease in the size of muscles in the body. Disuse atrophy can occur when a muscle is no longer as active as usual. Muscles that are no longer in use will slowly become weaker and eventually, they begin to shrink. In some cases, disuse atrophy can be reversed if the muscles become active again. Disuse atrophy can be caused by immobility, such as an arm being in a cast for a long period of time....

It’s not uncommon for people with arthritis to want to try a dietary supplement as an alternative treatment or as part of their treatment regimen. But which one? There are several supplements that may have beneficial effects. Turmeric is one of the supplements that can potentially help to manage arthritis symptoms. What Is Turmeric? Turmeric (Curcuma longa, Curcuma domestica) is a 5- to 6-foot tall perennial shrub, primarily found in India, Indonesia, and other tropical regions....

Most everyone was active in sports at some point in their younger years. And many people remain active through middle age and even into their older years. Whether it was high school football, college varsity sports, or recreational running, we all have had our days as an athlete. But can we blame arthritis on these sports activities? In most cases, probably not. While sports are often blamed for arthritis, the truth is that most people with arthritis have other factors contributing to the problem....

Graves’ ophthalmopathy, also called Graves’ orbitopathy or thyroid eye disease, is an autoimmune condition that usually develops in people with Graves’ disease. Graves’ disease is a thyroid disorder that can cause serious eye problems as well. In Graves’ ophthalmopathy, inflammation and swelling can affect muscles and other tissues around the eyes. This article gives an overview of Graves’ ophthalmopathy, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Symptoms With Graves’ ophthalmopathy, inflammation affects the muscles and other tissues around your eyes....

It is not usual for couples to ask if they really need to use condoms if both partners have HIV. After all, what harm can there be if they both have the virus, right? As reasonable as the question may seem, there are potential consequences, even among monogamous couples. Chief among these is reinfection. As a communicable virus, HIV has the ability to mutate as it is exposed to different drugs....

Prostaglandins are hormones that exert a lot of influence over key physiological processes in your body—including pain levels and inflammation. As part of the natural healing process, your body produces prostaglandins at the sites of infection or tissue damage. Numerous drugs and dietary changes have been researched to counter the negative effects of prostaglandins. What Prostaglandins Are Prostaglandins are a type of hormone. They act as signals to control processes in the parts of the body where they’re made....

We all require adequate nutrition and hydration in order to stay healthy, but those with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease are at a higher risk for malnutrition because of problems with eating and swallowing. Additionally, those with swallowing difficulties can breathe liquids or food particles into the airway and lungs, putting them at an increased risk for developing pneumonia. If your loved one has late-stage Alzheimer’s, the following strategies can help him or she eats and drink safely:...

Bowel retraining is a way to try to work with the body’s natural rhythms to establish a regular schedule of bowel movements. This may be of particular help to individuals who suffer from chronic constipation. The idea is to try to create conditions that maximize the possibility of having a successful bowel movement. Before trying bowel retraining, it is important to get the OK from your healthcare provider that this process would be appropriate for you....

Research shows that the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is effective at preventing cervical lesions and genital warts in those who are vaccinated. But what isn’t widely known is, on a population level, how much the HPV vaccine can impact the risk of developing invasive cervical cancer. A new study is changing that. Key Takeaways New research found a direct link between the HPV vaccine and a lowered risk of developing cervical cancer....